Earlier this month, North Preston basketball player Daneesha Provo went to a lay-up at the Canadian women’s team’s training camp in Florida.
But the guard felt something bang as they took their first step. It was her Achilles tendon.
After reaching the bottom, she knew this was the end of her Olympic dream for this year.
“I knew it straight away,” said 25-year-old Provo this week. “Hearing that pop and knowing immediately what it was and what I would have done was devastating.”
She is no stranger to serious injuries.
After recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury at the University of Utah in the 2018-19 season, Provo was instantly overwhelmed with emotion when she knew she was injured again.
“I just started crying,” she said. “Not because of the pain, but because of my tears, because my dreams and all the hard work I worked so hard for are over,” she said.
Provo had the injury investigated in Florida and made the decision to return to Nova Scotia for surgery.
Recovery will take months. But she said her family and strong support system in her hometown are what kept her going.
Provo’s dream of representing Canada on the women’s national basketball team at the Olympics was dashed after an injury. She is now recovering from Achilles tendon surgery in Dartmouth and her future looks bright. 1:45
A year full of success
Playing in Germany was part of Provo’s goal of getting to the Olympics.
She played professionally in Freiburg and averaged 20 points per game in the 2020/21 season.
She said her teammates pushed her to become a better player.
“I didn’t want to let them down. And my coaches there were amazing,” she said.
She was part of a young team and took on a leadership role.
The injury is a setback, but she isn’t done with basketball yet. She will focus on the next Olympic opportunity in 2024.
“I know everything happens for a reason and I’ll be back.”
She was one of 20 players invited to try out for the Olympic team. The national team wanted to train in Edmonton but chose Tampa due to pandemic regulations.
Shay Colley, Provo’s cousin, originally from East Preston, was selected into Canada’s roster.
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